


unique

by misschevalier



Series: I'd probably never finish you [3]
Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: F/M, M/M, strange relationship, they don't know what they are but they love each other very much yet don't know if it's platonic, yeah it's that kind of fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-31
Updated: 2014-10-31
Packaged: 2018-02-23 07:35:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,787
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2539619
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/misschevalier/pseuds/misschevalier
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Something unique.</p>
<p>That was the only phrase that could explain what type of relationship Adam and Joel had. It was strange, because they weren’t just best friends, neither friends with benefits nor even a couple. </p>
<p>They were just… Adam and Joel, and nothing else.</p>
            </blockquote>





	unique

**Author's Note:**

> I started this June 23th and, man, it took me a long way. I'm putting it on my "I'd probably never finish you" even when I think that's finished but I don't know- I really don't like the ending. Anyhow, this is my first Joel/Adam fic, HOW EXCITING.
> 
> I hope you enjoy it! ♥

Something unique.

That was the only phrase that could explain what type of relationship Adam and Joel had. It was strange, because they weren’t just best friends, neither friends with benefits nor even a couple. They were just… Adam and Joel, and nothing else.

Well, at first they were Jack, Adam, and Joel.

Jack was the one that introduced Joel to Adam one night, and they don’t know how but they felt something click inside them. Like, when you put the perfect piece on a jigsaw puzzle? That’s how it felt and they knew, somehow, that that was going to be a great night.  (Adam was laughing so much that night he almost fell off his chair. Joel didn’t want to forget how blissful Adam looked, how his cheeks were red with all the laugher.)

They hung out together Friday’s nights and enjoyed screaming at each other while playing games or watching some sport. Joel would always make Jack lose his temper and Adam would laugh at both of them discussing something silly.

Those were his favorite nights.

Then, they were starting to realize that Jack was slowly leaving them.

“Who are you texting?” Joel would ask, turning around to see Jack typing softly on his phone. He would always answer the same: Caiti Ward. Adam would _aawww_ at him and Joel just rolled his eyes. “You should ask her out. You’re going to Australia soon, anyway.”

“I don’t know, I’m not sure she likes me,” and once again, Joel rolled his eyes.

“You should do it, dude. The worst thing you could get a no,” Adam said, his attention going back to the game on the screen.

“Or… she could hate you and not talk to you anymore,” Joel would add, gaining Adam’s elbow against his ribs. Jack chuckled a muttered a _yeah, maybe I’ll ask her out_ while looking at his phone.

They realized that night that Jack wasn’t leaving them, but instead, bringing someone else to the group.

Adam and Joel loved Caiti: they welcomed her with open arms and bear hugs. At one point, they realized that _it’s like a double date,_ she always pointed that out, giggling and smiling at them. Both of them would shrug it off, laughing back.

(At this moment, was when Adam realized that he and Joel started sharing touches under the table, sometimes their knees brushing together but they never mentioned.)

Some people would say that having a group and, when two inside that group are dating, it get’s awkward, but for Adam and Joel they never felt left out with them. Instead, they felt part of their little family.

But every bird has to leave its nest.

“I need your help,” Jack told them one night, when Caiti was on a trip to Australia.

“With what?” Adam asked, and Joel knew what Jack was talking about. The bearded man took a box out of his pocket and opened for them: a ring. Adam couldn’t help but smile at his friend and share a look with Joel. “Oh, dude, of course we’ll help you!” Joel nodded, giving Jack a few pats on his shoulder.

“There’s no way we are going to let you down-”

“I’m just begging for you not to ruin it,” and Joel and Adam laughed, making Jack sweat cold.

“Everything’s going to be fine, don’t worry, Pattillo.”

Then, since that night, it wasn’t long until Caiti stopped being Caiti Ward and legally became Caiti Pattillo. Their wedding was gorgeous and Adam couldn’t help but gasp when he saw Caiti making her way to the altar, where Jack was almost tearing up. Both of them deserve to be happy. Joel and Adam couldn’t be happier for them, and Joel found himself sitting on the wrong table in the wedding just to sit closer to Adam, smiling and drinking and joking and wishing the couple a happy life.

Since Jack and Caiti married, Joel and Adam found themselves seeking for each other’s company.

They would hang out together, playing videogames until early hours in the morning, laughing and screaming, drinking until one of them had to crash on the sofa, unable to drive himself back home. Sometimes they would watch movies (“ _How the hell you had never seen The Godfather, Adam? We’re watching tonight, understood_?”), while eating on the sofa, bumping shoulders, and trying to steal each other’s fries.

They were a _something_ and they liked it.  For them, their relationship was strange and you could barely put it in words, because they weren’t a group, or a couple, and they were more than friends, but not enough to be dating or being friends with benefits.

Anyway, they were strange themselves, and they were a _something_ and that’s it.

The thing was, they didn’t know when that _something_ started being quite _unique_.

-

Maybe they were unique when they first started sharing clothes.

“Move,” Joel came in into the Tech office to pull Adam’s jacket from the back of the man’s chair. Adam, busy as always, would move, ignoring Barbara and the other Adam’s strange looks. “Thank you.”

“No problem,” Adam answered back, barely taking out his eyes off the computer screen. If Joel was feeling like it, he would ruffle Adam’s hair and leave, but this time he wasn’t in the mood.

Or maybe when Joel would crash at Adam’s place, and needing a new shirt because his was fucking dirty. Adam threw a shirt at him, and Joel didn’t really care that it was a little too big for him, so he used it.

“Where did you get that shirt? It’s too big for you.” Gus asked, coming that morning into the office. “No, wait, it even looks like it could be one of the Adams’.”

“It’s Adam’s, you know,” Joel answered, looking up from his computer and finally looking back at it. Gus shrugged and walked back to his desk, not caring about Joel’s and Adam’s life together.

“Fucking married couple.”

-

Maybe they were unique when they started feeling comfortable around each other.

Adam noticed a few weeks into his routine that he had deployed a new habit: coming into Joel’s office whenever it was a stressful day on the Tech office. There were days when every computer worked flawlessly, and there were days when everything just when to hell; he was graceful the other Adam was there, but god, sometimes it was too much.

“Bad day?” Joel asked when he saw his door opening and the man entering slowly, making his way to the sofa. He took his headphones off, resting them on his neck. “Adam?”

“Baird wasn’t here today and everything decided to not work properly,” Adam muttered, sitting on the sofa, looking at Joel. Both of them shared a look and Adam couldn’t help but smile, before asking “What are you looking?”

“Nothing. We are going out tonight with Jack and Caiti, right?” Adam nodded, arms crossed over his chest. “I’ll finish this in a few and we go, that’s okay?” Once again Adam only nodded, then he rested his head on the sofa and Joel went back to his work.

Joel didn’t know it was too late when Matt popped by the office, telling him to not close down since Monty and the RWBY would be working and staying on the building. Joel looked at his phone and noticed it was late enough for Jack to give him a call, because he never made it to their dinner.

“Adam-” Joel started, but when he noticed, Adam had fallen sleep on the couch, still on the same position: sitting down, head resting on the sofa but this time, eyes closed and phone hanging dangerously on his hand.

Joel took a moment to look at Adam, since he was almost like a lad, always with energy and impossible to keep quiet. Joel turned his computer off before walking to Adam, shaking him softly. “What-? Hmm?”

“Time to go home, Adam,” Joel muttered softly, not wanting to startle the man.

“But- Pattillo?” He asked, and Joel couldn’t help but chuckled softly at him, knowing that it was his best effort to actually talk.

“Too late.” Joel answered, while helping Adam up his feet. “I’ll drive you home, ‘kay?” And Adam couldn’t do anything else than nod, walking as a zombie to Joel’s car, and finally, stumbling into his place and onto the sofa.

Joel had to call Jack later and explain that work got him and maybe, just maybe, it was a little bit of Adam’s fault. Joel sighed annoyingly when he heard Caiti’s soft voice behind Jack with an _I told you_.

“It’s not what she thinks.”

 “Whatever you say, Joel.”

-

Maybe they were unique when they started joking about being a married couple.

At first they joked when they were surrounded with people, maybe at parties or when they did the 24 or 12 hours live stream for charity, they would always be too touchy and always wandering around each other. People would roll their eyes or laugh at it, and a few of the girls would _aawww_ at them, making Joel and Adam gain big grins on their faces.

Adam, by any reason, noticed that Joel stopped doing it around people and started acting like that when they were alone. Sometimes they would be playing and Joel would get too touchy but Adam couldn’t complain- he started liking it.

“You should trim your beard, it’s quite long _sweetie_ ,” Joel commented one day, smile on his face and a hand on Adam’s beard, pulling it softly. Adam’s laugh echoed through Joel’s empty apartment, and shrugged.

“If you want me to trim it, you should cut your hair, _honey,_ ” Adam’s laugh was even more loudly than before when he saw Joel’s expression and, somehow, he couldn’t help but tangle his fingers on Joel’s hair, pulling it softly.

“You know- I think you’re good just like that.”

-

Maybe they were unique when they started getting questions from his friends if they were in an actually relationship, like, a couple.

“We aren’t dating, Pattillo,” Joel answered to Jack, looking at him as if he had grown a second head. The red headed gave him a look and Joel sighed. “I’m serious, Jack, we aren’t dating. We aren’t a couple.”

“Are you sure about it, Joel? I mean, I don’t have anything against it. I’m not going to stop being your friend because you like Adam-” and Joel groaned, loudly enough that some heads on the nearby tables turned around to look at him. Jack giggled when he saw Joel’s red cheeks, embarrassed by the situation.

“For God’s sake,” he mumbled under his breath. “We are nothing, Jack, believe me.”

Jack shrugged and gave him a look, once again. “Whatever you said.”

By any reason, both of the Pattillos were trying to mess with the men’s minds. “Hello Caiti!” Adam waved at her, seeing the woman passing by the door and suddenly, there was a mass of fur running at him. “Emma! Look at you, you beast.”

“Hey, don’t call her like that,” Caiti laughed at the scene in front of her, not actually mad at him. Emma was squirming on Adam’s arms, which was hugging her and muttering things to the dog. “Adam, I wanted to talk to you,” she said, sitting on Barbara’s empty chair. Both of his coworkers were out eating lunch, but Adam decided to skip it.

“Oh, are you going to break up with me, Caiti?” Adam gave her a sad look and Caiti laughed at him.

“Don’t be silly.” She fixed her dress, watching Emma wandering around the room. “Are you and Joel a thing?”

Adam choked on his saliva. “Joel-? Me-?” He asked, looking at her nod. “Jesus Caiti, are you feeling alright?”

“I’m serious, Adam,” and yes, she was totally serious about it. Adam sighed and leaned back on his chair, thinking his answer.

“No, I don’t think we are thing,” he replied.

“Do you want to be a thing?” She asked, her sight glued to Adam’s. The question took the man off guard, and this time, he actually took time to answer her back.

He shrugged. “I don’t know, Caiti-”

“There you are, babe.” Both of them looked up and saw Jack leaning on the Tech office’s door, smiling at his wife. Emma was jumping around him and Adam couldn’t hold a smile. “Hey Adam, can I borrow my wife for a moment?”

Adam actually chuckled because you could see Jack’s eyes shine whenever he looked at Caiti, or whenever he said the word _wife_ , referring to her. Adam answered with a go ahead and the couple left a few minutes later.

“Why you were-” Jack asked at her, walking down the hall to the kitchen, but he stopped midsentence, knowing his wife’s look. “You didn’t.”

“You did the same with Joel, I know you,” and she kissed his cheek before walking upstairs where Miles and Kerry were waiting for her.

Jack sighed because, god dammit, he really loved that woman.

-

Maybe they were unique when they started becoming… a thing.

Joel woke up and looked around, noticing that maybe it was a few minutes before the dawn, since it was a little too dark. Joel hummed to himself and tried to move on the bed when he realized that he had an arm wrapped around his chest. He tried not to enter in panic, because he didn’t remember what happened last night. He was at Adam’s place, they played games and they drank- oh. He heard snores behind him and when he felt something tickling the back of his neck, he knew it was Adam.

He didn’t remember when they went to sleep, or how the fuck he got to Adam’s bed. Somehow his brain was telling him that everything was fine, that he was in a safe place and it was Adam’s arms that were around him.

Joel felt warm, and for the first time in a few years, he liked the feeling. He looked over the clock that Adam had on his night table: 5:24AM. Too early to be up and about, so he decided that if he couldn’t fight against it, he would just… roll with it. He closed his eyes and pressed himself closer, enjoying Adam’s warmness around him. Joel hummed to himself, pretty happy about it.

In the morning, when both of them woke up, they didn’t mention it because, secretly, they liked sleeping on the same bed. Adam lounged on the bed a few minutes after Joel had gotten up to take a shower and try not to die on his way to the kitchen, since the sun was hitting right on Adam’s windows.

Adam heard a groan and laughed, knowing what it meant.

“Don’t fucking laugh,” Joel returned to the bedroom, giving at the youngest a few white pills. “For the headache, take them.”

“Thanks,” Adam replied, smiling at Joel. The older man smiled back but quickly threw a pillow at Adam. “You’re an idiot.”

“What I did?” Joel laughed and walked to the bathroom, to take a shower. “Joel!” and this was Adam’s turn to groan, Joel laughing at him.

It got to a point in their relationship that Adam started noticing new things around his place.

Now, he had a few shirts that weren’t his on the closet and also, the extra toothbrush and the extra towel hanging on the rail in the bathroom. In the living room, there were games that weren’t his and a jacket hanging from the coat hanger and of course, the extra pair of keys and wallet on the kitchens counter top that weren’t his.

Adam started noticing how Joel would come home with him, as if it was the most normal thing on the world, as if that was his house too.

“You know that this is my house, right?” Adam said to Joel, taking a swig of his beer. Joel turned his head around, looking up from his laptop.

“Right,” and for the first time in many months, they had an awkward moment. “Do you want me to leave? Because I can if you-”

“No.” Adam didn’t know how he answered so quickly, already pushing Joel back, so he could sit down on the sofa once again. “I like you being here.”

Joel smiled at him brightly, before looking back at his laptop. “I’m glad. I like being here.”

Adam could think that Joel was slowly moving in on his place, but he didn’t realize that he has been doing the same. Joel would come home to found some shirts that weren’t his, the extra toothbrush and towel on the bathroom, another iPhone charger that he knew that it wasn’t his, the fucking pillow that wasn’t his and smelled like Adam, and even an umbrella that wasn’t his either.

Joel smiled at himself and walked outside his place, closing the door behind him.

It was pretty obvious they weren’t a thing.

-

Maybe they were unique when they started being each other’s supports.

They talked, openly and without secrets, about everything that happened in their lives: about friends, family, work, trivialities and they even got into little discussions about facts they knew. It wasn’t strange seeing Adam and Joel laughing or screaming at each other. Neither of them knew when they became so important for each other.

Of course, Adam realized how important Joel was to him when he got _the_ call.

“You see, I do this and-” Burnie was talking but the sound of Adam’s phone ringing cut him off. Adam cursed himself and took the phone out of his pocket, apologizing at his boss; he frowned at the number on the screen and asked Burnie if it was okay for him to take it. “Yeah, sure. Take your time.”

Adam smiled at him and accepted the call. “Hello? …yeah, this is Adam Ellis.” Burnie watched the man’s expression change suddenly on his face. “Y-yes, I’ll there in a few minutes. Yes, yes… thanks.” Adam felt dizzy and the only thing he remembered was picking his bag and Burnie’s voice calling his name.

Adam wasn’t sure how he got himself to the hospital so quickly and how he made it alive and without injuring anyone. Jack was supposed to be Joel’s emergency contact- when did he change it? When he stepped inside the building, everything when like a blur and all he knows he’s on a seat falling asleep next to the hospital bed where Joel was, with his fingers carefully tangled with Joel’s.

“You should go home,” and Adam heard Jack’s strong voice talking to him, but he shook his head, shifting on the chair. “You’re falling asleep, Adam.”

He shook his head again, ignoring Jack’s worried looks. “He wouldn’t leave if I was on his place,” and Jack didn’t answer back because he knows that it’s truth, that if Adam was on the hospital, Joel would be sitting night and day beside Adam because, wherever Joel was, Adam would be with him and otherwise.

“Okay then.” Jack looked at his phone, and when he looked back, Adam had finally fallen asleep.

-

Maybe they were unique when they started realizing that they needed each other like air.

The touches, the smiles, the presence in the room, the shared looks, all of those things were oxygen for them. They would never admit that they shared clothes and they liked the smell of the other, and maybe they would never admit that sleeping with another person was incredible comfortable.

After all, it wasn’t a surprise when they kissed for the first time.

Joel didn’t remember exactly when it happened (if it was on his office, at Adam’s place or at a very drunken party) but he remembered all those little details he’s embarrassed to say aloud: how strange Adam’s beard felt against his skin, how Adam’s hand was pressing on his neck softly, holding him on the spot; how the kiss wasn’t long and romantic like in the movies but this time simple and filled with sentiment.

He remembered how the stepped out and smiled at each other, Adam’s blue eyes bright and cheeks red. Joel laughed softly at it and Adam hit him on the head, asking what the fuck he was staring at. “Nothing” and maybe the words came out a little too smoothly but he didn’t care because, god damn, that was a good kiss.

-

Maybe it was when they started realizing that they were a little more than _something_ , and finally knew that that thing was _unique_.

Joel started realizing that his relationship with Adam wasn’t like anyone else in the company: they weren’t Ashley and Burnie, neither they were Geoff and Gavin, were everything was platonic and a very strong friendship. For Joel, it was so strange to put their relationship into words, because it felt impossible.

“Adam,” started the older man when both of them were lying on the bed at night. Adam turned his head and looked at Joel, frowning as if he was asking _what’s up?_ “What are we?”

“Well…I guess we are humans, right?” and Joel huffed, making Adam chuckle because of the answer. When the younger man realized that Joel was actually serious, he gained a stern expression on his face. “Why are you asking? It’s something actually wrong?”

Joel felt Adam’s weight shift on the bed and his hand sneak under Joel’s shirt, fingers caressing softly his skin. “No, it’s just- you know, we’re weird.”

“Tell me something I didn’t know, Joel.”

“That’s not what I mean, asshole,” he snickered. “Are we boyfriends? Friends with benefits?”

“Don’t friends with benefits have sex with each other?” Adam asked.

“Yeah, I guess we haven’t gotten to that point.” Joel sighed, and hid his face on the pillow, groaning.

“Why this is eating you now?”

“I don’t know. It just came to my mind and the only thing that I could think is that we are something, that’s it. We are a couple, not friends with benefits but we are a lot more than best friends and-”

“I’m fine with that.”

“With what?”

“Being just something.”

Joel glared at Adam for a while, looking at those blue eyes. “Yeah, I guess that’s fine.”

“We’re something extraordinary!” Adam said, a smile plastered on his face. Joel groaned in annoyance, making the younger man laugh.

“Don’t- that’s too much. I guess we are just something… unique? Yeah, that’s a lot better. Not big words, Adam,” he said, pulling Adam’s beard softly.  Both of them laughed a while, sharing some touches here and there, before drifting into an easy sleep.

Yes, something unique was a very good way to explain what they were.

 

**Author's Note:**

> [tumblr♥](somespontaneouswriting.tumblr.com)


End file.
